Door hanger for a sliding door



June 30, 1970 J. A. EDEUS DOOR HANGER FOR A SLIDING DOOR Filed June 21, 1967 4 llVl/E/VTOR.

JAME$A. 05115 United States Patent 3,517,409 DOOR HANGER FOR A SLIDING DOOR James A. Edens, Rock Falls, Ill., assignor to National Manufacturing Co., Sterling, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed June 21, 1967, Ser. No. 647,843 Int. Cl. E05d 13/02 US. Cl. 16-105 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hanger for rollably supporting a sliding door on an overhead track includes a track-engageable roller member having an opening therein, and a door-engageable member adapted to be attached to the top edge of the door and having a hook portion receivable in the opening in the roller member. To plumb the door, the door-eng-ageable member includes an adjusting screw which is threaded into a lug and which has its end abutting the edge of a curved corner forming a cam surface for the roller member so that the screw maintains the door-engageable member in an adjusted position relative to the roller member, whereby the door may be maintained either in a raised or in a lowered position by advancing the screw toward or away from the cam surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a hanger for a sliding door, and it more particularly rel-ates to a device which connects a sliding door to an overhead track assembly for rolling therealong and which has adjusting means mounted thereon to adjust the position of the door relative to the track and thus to the door frame for purpose-s of plumbing the door.

Many different types of door hangers have been employed each having a roller journaled thereon and being adapted to be attached to the top edge of the door for rollably connecting the door to an overhead track assembly. Many of these hangers have included devices for adjusting the position of the door relative to the track for purposes of plumbing the door. However, when the conventional adjustable door hangers were employed, the door could not be easily and efficiently removed from the overhead track for maintenance purposes without the necessity of disassembling the hanger and without being able to retain the same adjustment for the door. Furthermore, many conventional door hangers that permitted easy removal of the door from the track suffered from the drawback of allowing the door to become accidentally derailed from the track, because a relatively large amount of space was required between the top portion of the roller and the upper flange portion of the track assembly to permit the hanger to be lifted upwardly out of engagement with the track. Accordingly, it is desirable to have an adjustable door hanger which has means for easily and efficiently adjusting the position of the door relative to the track after connecting the door thereto, and which thereafter permits easy removal of the door from the track without requiring a new door adjustment upon reconnecting the door to the track. Such a door hanger should also be constructed to prevent accidental derailment. Furthermore, in many instances it is desirable to have all of the foregoing characteristics in an adjustable Patented June 30, 1970 door hanger which is also adapted to be mounted above the door so that the hanger is not generally noticeable thereby to prevent a mar in the appearance of the door.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a new and improved adjustable door hanger for a sliding door.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved door hanger which includes means for adjusting the position of the door relative to the track after mounting the door in rollable engagement with the track.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable door hanger which has the foregoing characteristics and which permits the door to be easily and efficiently removed from the track and subsequently to be re-connected to the track without the necessity of making another adjustment for the door.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable door hanger which has the foregoing characteristics and which is adapted to be mounted above the door so that the hanger is not generally noticeable.

Briefly, the above and further objects are realized in accordance with the present invention by providing an adjustable door hanger comprising a track-engageable roller member having an opening therein and having a roller journaled thereon, and a door-engageable member having a door-engageable base portion and a hook portion receivable in the opening in the roller member to form a detachable, pivotal connection between the two members. The door-engageable member is attached to the top edge of the door and then the roller member is placed in engagement with the track so that the hook portion of the door-engageable member can be easily manipulated into engagement with the roller member to connect the door to the track. Thereafter, in order to adjust the position of the door relative to the track for purposes of plumbing the door, the hanger is provided with an adjustable stop member which is mounted on one of the members and which has its distal end abutting the edge of a curved corner portion of the other member. According to one form of the invention, the stop member is an adjusting screw which may be advanced or withdrawn by means of a screw driver or the like for maintaining the base in an adjusted position relative to the roller. Therefore, even though the door is subsequently removed from the track for maintenance purposes by separating the door-engageable member from the roller member and then is re-connected to the track by manipulating the hook portion of the door-engageable member into engagement with the roller member, the adjusting screw maintains the same adjustment for the door.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and further objects of the present invention will be understood more fully and completely from the following detailed description when considered with reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a silding door having an adjustable door hanger in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the adjustable door hanger of the present invention showing a portion of the overhead track broken away;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the adjustable door hanger of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the adjustable door hanger of FIG. 2 taken substantially along the line 44 thereof;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the lower door engageable part of the adjustable door hanger of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of FIG. 2 taken substantially along the line 6-6 thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown an adjustable door hanger device 10 in accordance with the present invention which is fastened to the right-hand side of the top edge of a door 12 and an adjustable roller hanger 13 which is fastened to the left-hand side of the top edge of the door 12 for rollably connecting the door 12 to a track 14 forming the top portion of a door frame which may be a pocket-type door frame. For a detailed description of a track assembly with which the door hanger of the present invention may be used, reference may be made to co-pending patent application entitled Pocket Door Assembly, Ser. No. 703,050, filed on Feb. 5, 1968. The door 12 may be slid laterally along the track 14 toward the right (FIG. 1) into a compartment (not shown) in the wall. In order to adjust the position of the door 12 with respect to the track 14, the hanger 10 is manually adjustable to maintain the right-hand portion of the door 12 in a raised or lowered position with respect to the hanger 13.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the adjustable door hanger 10 includes as its principal elements a roller member 18 having a roller 20 journaled thereon and an opening or keyhole slot 22, and a door-engageable member 24 which includes an adjustable abutment member such as a screw 25 threadably mounted thereon and a hook 26 receivable in the slot 22 of the roller member 18 to provide a detachable, pivotal connection between the roller member 18 and the door-engagea'ble member 24. For the purpose of connecting the pocket side of the door 12 to the track 14, the roller member 18 is placed in engagement with the track 14 and then with the doorengageable member 24 attached to the top edge of the door 12, the hook 26 is manipulated into engagement with the roller member 18. In order to plumb the door 12 after it is connected to the track 14, the door is manually moved into an adjusted position relative to the track 14 by moving the pocket side of the door 12 either upwardly or downwardly with respect to the hanger 13 at the opposite end of the door. Thereafter, as indicated by the broken lines in FIG. 2, the screw 25 is rotated by a screw driver or the like to move the screw 25 in an axial direction until it abuts the edge of a corner portion 27 of the roller member to maintain the door-engageable member 24 in an adjusted position relative to the roller member 18. In like manner, since the adjustable hanger 13 is similar to the hanger 10', the door 12 may also be adjusted at the left-hand or jarnb side of the door 12.

Considering now the lower door-engageable part 24 in greater detail, the door-engageable member 24 is provided with a base 28 which is adapted to be fastened to the top edge of the door 12 by any suitable means such as the mounting screws 29. A starwheel 31, as best illustrated in FIG. 6, is axially slidable with respect to and non-rotatably connected to the screw 25 to enable it to be conveniently rotated. For this purpose, the starwheel 31 is provided with a hole 32 in its center for loosely receiving the screw 25. The hole 32 is in the shape of a circle with opposite sides thereof flattened to conform to a pair of flats 34 located on opposite sides of the screw 25.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, a lug or plate 35 is integrally connected to the base 28 by an upstanding support plate portion 36 bent at right angles to the plate 35. The plate 35 has a tapped hole 37 for threadably re- I ceiving the screw 25 and is disposed at an angle of about degrees with respect to the base 28 to direct the screw 25 in a direction displaced from the hook 26 to maintain the roller member 18 in an adjusted position relative to the door-engageable member 24. For the purpose of limiting the axial movement of the screw 25, the base 28 has an upstanding lug or plate portion 38 which, as shown in FIG. 2, is the end portion of the base 28 bent upwardly into a parallel, spaced-apart relationship with the plate 35 so that the starwheel 31 is disposed between the plate 35 and the plate 38. The plate 38 is provided with a hole that loosely receives the adjustment screw 25. When the hanger 10 is used with a pocket door frame assembly, the starwheel 31 permits the door 12 to be adjusted while it is partially within the compartment, because a screwdriver or the like can be inserted into the compartment along the top edge of the door en engage the starwheel 31. The hanger 13 mounted on the jamb' side of the door 12 may be provided with a round head screw without flats and without the starwheel, because the jamb side of the door is normally adjusted while it is without the compartment in which position the screw is readily accessible.

As best illustrated in FIG. 4, the book 26 of the lower door-engageable part, 24 consists of an upstanding plate portion 40 integrally connected to the base 28 and bent at right angles thereto, and a button-like member 42 extending perpendicularly from the plate 40. As shown in FIG. 4, the member 42 is formed of a stud which is fixedly connected to the back side of the plate 40 by any convenient technique, such as riveting. The stud 42 has an enlarged end portion 42a to provide a lip for preventing the roller part 18 from slipping out of supporting engagement with the hook 26.

Considering now the upper roller member 18 in greater detail, the upper roller member 18 includes a plate 43 having its curved lower corner 27 forming a cam surface located opposite to the distal end 25a of the adjusting screw 25 so that the end 25a abuts the edge of the plate 43 at the cam surface 27. The roller 20 is journaled for rotation at an upper portion 45 of the plate 43 by means of an axle 46 which, as shown in FIG. 4, is a shoulder rivet fixedly connected to the plate 43. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper portion 45 is an integral portion of the plate 43 bent toward the right and then upwardly in a direction parallel to the lower portion to permit the roller 20 to rotate freely away from the lower portion. The narrow U-shaped portion of the keyhole slot 22 is slightly wedgeshaped to provide a snug fit for the member 42.

OPERATION In order to plumb the door 12 after it is connected in rollable engagement with the track 14, the door is manually moved into an adjusted position relative to the track 14. For example, if it is desirable for plumbing purposes to raise the right-hand portion of the door 12, as viewed in FIG. 1, then the right-hand portion is manually lifted until the top edge of the door 12 is in the desired position relative to the track 14. While the door 12 is being raised, the door-engageable member 24 causes the roller member 18 to roll along the track 14 to the left as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2. Thereafter, the starwheel .31 is rotated to cause the screw 25 to advance in an axial direction toward the cam surface 27 of the roller part 18 until the distal end 25a of the screw 25 abuts the cam surface 27. As a result, the screw 25 maintains the base 28 of the door-engageable member 24 in an adjusted position relative to the axle 46 for the roller 20. The screw 25 maintains the same adjusted position for the door even though the door is subsequently removed from the track 14 for maintenance or other purposes by separating the two members of the hanger 10 so that the door does not require another adjustment upon replacing the door into engagement with the track 14.

In order to lower the right-hand portion of the door 12, for example, from the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2 to a position shown in solid lines, the screw 25 may be rotated to move it away from the cam surface 27 until the weight of the door 12 pulls the door-engageable member 24 to the desired position with respect to the axle 46 for the roller 20. As the screw 25 moves away from the cam surface 27, the door-engagea'ble member 24 causes the roller member 1-8 to move toward the right so that the cam surface 27 remains in contact with the distal end 25a of the screw 25 as it withdraws so that when the screw 25 stops rotating, it is disposed in an abutting relationship with the cam surface27.

In view of the foregoing description, the roller hanger of the present invention provides a structurally-simple and efiicient device for rollably connecting a door to an overhead track, which device includes a means for adjusting the position of the door relative to the track for purposes of plumbing. The roller hanger comprises a track-engageable roller member having an opening therein and having a curved corner forming a cam surface, and a doorengageable member having a hook receivable in the opening to provide a detachable, pivotal connection between the members and having an adjustable abutment member which abuts the cam surface. The adjustable abutment member maintains the door-engageable member in an adjusted position relative to the roller member to adjust the position of the top edge of the door relative to the track. The hook and keyhole slot connection between the two members permits them to be easily separated to remove the door from the track. Furthermore, the door hanger of the present invention cannot accidentally become derailed from the track, because since the upper roller member remains in engagement with the track during removal of the door from the track, only a relatively small amount of clearance is necessary between the top portion of the roller and the upper flange portion of the track. Furthermore, after connecting the door to the track, the adjusted position of the door can be easily maintained by means of the adjustable abutment member and the adjustment retained even though the two members are subsequently separated to remove the door from the track. Also, the entire door hanger of the present invention is adapted to be inconspicuously mounted on the top edge of the door thereby to prevent a mar in the appearance of the door.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1'. An adjustable door hanger comprising:

a track-engageable' roller member including a roller journaled thereon;

a door-engageable member having a base portion;

one of said members having an opening therein and the other member having a hook portion receivable in said opening to form a detachable, pivotal connection between said mernbers;

one of said members having a curved edge portion forming a camsurface, and an abutment member movably mounted on the other of said members for abutting said cam surface to maintain said base in an adjusted position relative to said roller, said abutment member extending in a direction which is displaced from said pivotal connection,

whereby the position of said base may be adjusted relative to said roller by pivoting said members about said pivotal connection and by moving said abutment member toward or away from said cam surface.

2. An adjustable door hanger according to claim 1, wherein said abutment member comprises an adjusting screw;

said door-engageable member includes an upstanding plate integrally connected to said base, said plate portion having a threaded opening for threadably receiving said adjusting screw to guide said screw toward and away from said cam surface in said direction displaced from said hook; and

the roller part includes a curved corner portion forming said cam surface.

3. A door hanger according to claim 2, wherein said door-engageable member further includes a starwheel, and connecting means for connecting said starwheel in a non-rotatable and an axially slidable manner to said screw.

4. An adjustable door hanger comprising:

a track-engageable roller member including a roller journaled thereon;

a door-engageable member having a base portion;

one of said members having an opening therein and the other member having a hook portion receivable in said opening to form a detachable, pivotal connection between said members;

one of said members having a curved edge portion forming a cam surface, and an abutment member movably mounted on the other of said members for abutting said cam surface to maintain said base in an adjusted position relative to said roller, said abutment member comprising an adjusting screw having a pair of flats on opposite sides thereof;

said door-engageable member including an upstanding plate integrally connected to said base, said plate portion having a threaded opening for threadably receiving said adjusting screw to guide said screw toward and away from said cam surface in a direction displaced from said hook;

said roller part including a curved corner portion forming said cam surface;

said door-engageable member further including a starwheel and connecting means for connecting said starwheel in a non-rotatable and an axially slidable manner to said screw;

means defining a hole in said starwheel, said hole being in the shape of a circle with opposite sides thereof flattened so that said flattened sides are located opposite said flats on said screw; and

a second upstanding plate integrally connected to said base and disposed in a substantially parallel relationship with respect to said first-mentioned plate for limiting axial movement of said starwheel between said first-mentioned plate and said second plate, said plates each having a hole for receiving said screw, at least one of said holes in said plates being threaded to threadably engage said screw,

whereby the position of said base may be adjusted toward or away from said cam surface.

5. A door hanger according to claim 1, wherein said opening is in said roller member and said cam surface is formed on said roller member; and

said hook portion is integral with said door-engageable member and said abutment member is mounted on said door-engageable member.

6. A door hanger according to claim 4, wherein one of said plates comprises an end portion of said base bent at an angle of less than degrees with respect to said base; and

the other of said plates comprises a first portion having the hole therein for receiving said screw and an upstanding support plate portion integrally connected to said base and bent at right angles to said first portion.

7. An adjustable door hanger comprising:

a track-engageable roller member including a roller journaled thereon;

a door-engageable member having a base portion;

one of said members having anopening therein and the other member having a hook portion receivable in said opening to form a detachable, pivotal connection between said members; I

one of said members having a curved edge portion forming a cam surface, and an abutment member movably mounted on the other of said members for abutting said cam surface to maintain said base in an adjusted position relative to said roller;

said opening being in said roller member and'said cam surface being formed on said roller member, said opening comprising a keyhole slot; and

said hook portion being integral with said door-engagewhereby the position of said base may be adjusted relative' to said roller by moving said abutment member toward or away from said cam surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner' ANDREW M. CALVERT,'Assist-ant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

